Sandpaper holders



Jan. 15, 1963 J. A. HOWARD 3,073,084

SANDPAPER HOLDERS Filed Jan. 18, 1962 FIGA INVENTOR, JOEL A. HOWARD,

ATTORN EY.

United States atent flfice 3.-?3,84 Patented Jan. 15, 1953 3,073,084SANDPAPER HOLDERS Joel A. Howard, Clitfside Park, N.J., assignor toHoward Hardware Products, Inc., Newark, N.J., a corporation of NewJersey Filed Jan. 18, 1962, Ser. No. 167,051 6 Claims. ((31. 51--187)The present invention relates to sandpaper holders commonly known assanding blocks.

\An object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved articleof the class mentioned, in which there is a flat backing member for thesandpaper and a top member offering a deformable handle of resilientnature, which is releasably attachable to the backing member; thefeature being that the sand paper which is bent around the front andrear edges of the backing member is neither bent or cut into by the topmember, because the sandpaper is not pushed into any channel structure,but its sole holding means is afforded by having the corner regions ofthe top member, press the sandpaper tight against the upper surface ofthe backing member. Also of importance, is that the leading part of thesandpaper on the work being sanded, is not an edge of the sandpaper.

Another object is to provide a novel and improved sandpaper holder ofthe kind described, which is simple in construction, reasonably cheap tomanufacture, easy to use and efiicient in carrying out the purposes forwhich it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds.

For one practice of this invention, I provide an oblong sheetmetalbacking plate having a right angle flange extending upwardly from bothits shorter edges which shall constitute the front and rear ends of thedevice. Along each side edge, there is a channel whose ends are spacedsome distance from said flanges; the longitudinal openings of saidchannels being directly opposite each other. The top member, initially aflat piece of sheetmetal of some resilient quality, is bent intoomega-form to provide a lengthwise handle with coplanar, laterallyextending plate portions below such handle. The top member thus formed,presents a rectangular two-part base of a little less in length than thedistance between said flanges and of a little more in width than thedistance the bottoms of said opposite channels. The remote side edges ofsaid top member fit snugly in said channels respectively, upon assemblyand the base of said top member contacts the top surface or does nearlyso.

I will now give a detailed description of a preferred form of sandpaperholder embodying the teachings of this invention, by referring to theaccompanying drawing, a part of this specification in which similarcharacters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing that part of the sanding blockwhich serves as the backing for the sandpaper.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top part which is adapted to engagethe backing part and at its corner regions, it holds the sandpaperpressed down tightly against the upper surface of said backing plate.This top member also provided a handle for the device along its length.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified constructionoffering pressing tabs to hold the sandpaper clamped to the backingplate.

FIG. 4 is a lengthwise elevational block in assembled use condition.

FIG. 5 is a section taken at line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

In the preferred embodiment shown in the drawing, the numeral indicatesgenerally a sandpaper holder comprising a one-piece oblong-shaped bottommember denoted view of the sanding generally by the numeral 16, offeringa flat backing part 17 for the sandpaper sheet 18 whose end portions areheld pressed down onto the upper surface of said backing part by thecorner portions of a one-piece upper member designated generally by thenumeral 19. Both said members are made of sheet metal, but the topmember19 needs some resilient quality to effect its engagement andseparation. The shorter ends of the bottom member each have an upwardflange, and serve as the front and rear ends of the holder 15. Theseflanges 20, 21 are preferably vertical or slightly upwards divergent inrelation to the flat backing part 17 when the latter is horizontal. Eachof the side edges of the bottom member 16 has a lengthwise channel whoseopen ends are at a suitable distance from said flanges. These sidechannels 22, 23 have their longitudinal openings opposite each other andare enterable by sliding towards them on the top surface of the flatpart 17. The upper piece 19 is made of a rectangular blank bent intoomega-form to provide a split tubular handle lengthwise of the bottommember 16 when the side edges of the coplanar feet 24, 25 arerespectively entered into said channels. When so entered, the handlepart 26 is deformed to a slightly smaller diameter and hence stressed.

To make the assembly for use, the sandpaper strip 18 is set smooth sideagainst the bottom surface of the member 16 and its length is justsuiiicient to have its end portions bent around the top edges and innersurfaces of the front and rear flanges 2t 21 and onto the top surface ofthe backing part 17 to end before the channel ends. The top member 19 isthen held in hand and its handle 26 squeezed whereupon it is set betweenthe covered flanges and released so that the longitudinal edges of thefeet 24, 25 are entered into the channels 22 and 23 respectively. Thelength of the upper member should be such that it slide fits between thesandpaper-covered flanges of the bottom member so as not to cut into thesandpaper. The fit into the channels shall be such that the corners ofthe feet 24, 25 tightly press the sandpapers end portions onto the topsurface of the fiat backing 17. It is practical to make the dimension Aabout one-half an inch and the length of the sandpaper sheet about aninch and a half longer than the length of the bottom member 16 when theheight of each flange 20, 21 is three-sixteenths of an inch. Thesedimensions are mere suggestions.

The sandpaper strip or other abrasive sheeting used, is of coursestretched taut when applied on the holder and for better hold therefor,the top member 19 may have elongated notches in each corner regionbetween the handle and the side edges as at 27, so that each tab formedmay be bent down a little, to afford greater pressing action, for suchtabs will act as gripping fingers in the assembly.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applicationswithout departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It istherefore intended and desired that the embodiments herein shall bedeemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shallcover all patentable novelty herein set forth; reference being had tothe following claims rather than to the specific description herein toindicate the scope of this invention.

I claim: I

1. In an article of the character described, a flat, substantiallyrectangular bottom member having an upward flange along its front andrear edges respectively and a channel along an intermediate part'of eachof its side edges above the bottom surface of said flat bottom member;the longitudinal openings of said channels being directly opposite eachother and said flanges being in a nonconvergent relation upwardly fromsaid flat bottom member; an abrasive strip in stretched condition beingpositioned against the bottom surface of said fiat bottom memberand'each end portion of said strip being around and againstthe surfacesof said flanges respectively and so that thetop member is enterablebetween said flanges and channels; the side edges of said feet betingentered into said channels respectively and the corners of said feetpressing the end portions of said abrasive strip tightly against the topsurfaceof said fiat bottom member; said top member being in loose fitbetween the abrasive material on the flanges and its feet being in snuglit in said channels.

2. An article as defined in claim 1, wherein each channel is formed byanupward flange along each side edge of the bottom member; such lastmentioned flanges being in upwardly converging relation.

3. An article as defined in claim 1, wherein the top .member is ofsubstantiallyrectangular shape as determined by its perimeter; saidmember being made of a flat blank bent into omega form. I

4. An article as defined in claim 1, wherein each member is made of aone-piece blank.

5. An article as defined in claim 1, wherein the top member is providedin each corner region with an elongated notch whereby a tab is formed ateach such region.

6. An article as defined in claim 5 wherein each of said tabs is bentdownwardly a bit so that they are stressed upon assembly of saidmembers.

References Cited in the file o f this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS vWilliams a Jan. 8, 1907 840,982 2,454,668 Nissenbaum Nov. 23, 19482,680,334- Howard June 8, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 835,002 Great Britain May18, 19-60

1. IN AN ARTICLE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A FLAT, SUBSTANTIALLYRECTANGULAR BOTTOM MEMBER HAVING AN UPWARD FLANGE ALONG ITS FRONT ANDREAR EDGES RESPECTIVELY AND A CHANNEL ALONG AN INTERMEDIATE PART OF EACHOF ITS SIDE EDGES ABOVE THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID FLAT BOTTOM MEMBER;THE LONGITUDINAL OPENINGS OF SAID CHANNELS BEING DIRECTLY OPPOSITE EACHOTHER AND SAID FLANGES BEING IN A NONCONVERGENT RELATION UPWARDLY FROMSAID FLAT BOTTOM MEMBER; AN ABRASIVE STRIP IN STRETCHED CONDITION BEINGPOSITIONED AGAINST THE BOTTOM SURFACE OF SAID FLAT BOTTOM MEMBER ANDEACH END PORTION OF SAID STRIP BEING AROUND AND AGAINST THE SURFACES OFSAID FLANGES RESPECTIVELY AND EXTENDING SHORT OF THE ENDS OF SAIDCHANNELS RESPECTIVELY, AGAINST THE TOP SURFACE OF SAID BOTTOM FLATMEMBER AND A TOP MEMBER COMPRISING TWO SPACED COPLANAR FOOT ELEMENTSCONNECTED BY A CENTRALLY POSITIONED HANDLE ELEMENT HAVING SOME RESILIENTQUALITY TO BE DEFORMED TO REDUCE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE REMOTE SIDEEDGES OF SAID FEET SO THAT THE TOP MEMBER IS ENTERABLE BETWEEN SAIDFLANGES AND CHANNELS; THE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FEET BETING ENTERED INTOSAID CHANNELS RESPECTIVELY AND THE CORNERS OF SAID FEET PRESSING THE ENDPORTIONS OF SAID ABRASIVE STRIP TIGHTLY AGAINST THE TOP SURFACE OF SAIDFLAT BOTTOM MEMBER; SAID TOP MEMBER BEING IN LOOSE FIT BETWEEN THEABRASIVE MATERIAL ON THE FLANGES AND ITS FEET BEING IN SNUG FIT IN SAIDCHANNELS.